Process for preparing organic fuels and chemicals from biomass

ABSTRACT

An ethanol fermentation process in which an aqueous solution of fermentable sugar is converted by an ethanol-producing microorganism such as a yeast to a dilute aqueous solution of ethanol with the ethanol being present in the solution at a concentration which does not exceed a predetermined maximum level, wherein ethanol present in the solution is selectively sorbed within a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite so that the non-sorbed ethanol present in the solution does not exceed the predetermined maximum level of concentration therein, and thereafter exposing the ethanol-containing zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions to effect conversion of the ethanol to hydrocarbons.

This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 720,669, now abandoned, filed on Apr. 5, 1985, which case is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 546,331, filed Oct. 28, 1983 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,892 which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 230,461, filed Feb. 2, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,561, the contents of which applications are incorporated herein by reference.

This invention belongs to the field of fermentation processes and, more particularly, to the fermentative conversion of sugars derived from such sources as grains, tubers, starch legums, sugar cane, agricultural wastes, minicipal wastes, wood, sawdust, bark, and the like, to ethanol.

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the conversion of biomass to liquid fuels and chemicals. Biomass offers the potential to replace or supplement dwindling reserves of non-renewable fossil fuels with fuels derived from vegetative, and therefore, renewable, carbon-containing sources such as amylaceous grains and tubers, sugar cane, wood and other cellulosic sources including cellulose-containing municipal wastes (newsprint, cardboard, etc.), and similar materials. The carbohydrate contained in the foregoing materials is first hydrolyzed to fermentable sugar such as glucose (dextrose), fructose, maltose and sucrose, and the fermentable sugar is thereafter converted by fermentation to ethanol. Hydrolysis and fermentation can be carried out in individual vessels or side-by-side in a single vessel. It is well known that the maximum concentration of ethanol which can be achieved by fermentation is limited by the tolerance of the ethanol-producing microorganisms, e.g., brewers' yeast, Clostridium sp., etc., for ethanol such that as the concentration of the ethanol increases, the ability of the microorganisms to convert further quantities of fermentable sugar to ethanol decreases. At ethanol concentrations above 2% by weight of the fermentation medium, the rate of fermentation begins to decline noticeably with the fall-off in production being particularly apparent when the 5% level has been exceeded. At ethanol concentrations of about 10-12%, fermentation ceases and so this level of ethanol represents an inherent limitation on the productivity of fermentation processes.

In order to achieve maximum production of ethanol from a given volume of fermentation equipment, it is desirable to limit the concentration of ethanol in the fermenter to no higher than about 5%, and preferably, no higher than about 2%. With current fermentation procedures, this has been impractical since it requires processing unacceptably large quantities of liquid. It has been proposed to operate fermenters under vacuum so that the ethanol will volatilize as soon as it is produced thereby making it possible to maintain a low concentration of ethanol in an on-going fermentation. However, vacuum fermentation equipment is expensive to fabricate, use and maintain and its commercial practicality has therefore yet to be established.

In accordance with the present invention, in an ethanol fermentation process in which an aqueous solution of fermentable sugar is converted by an ethanol-producing microorganism to a dilute aqueous solution of ethanol with the ethanol being present in the solution at a concentration which does not exceed a predetermined maximum level, an improvement is provided which comprises selectively sorbing ethanol present in the solution within a crystalline aluminosilicate so that the non-sorbed ethanol present in the solution does not exceed the predetermined maximum level of concentration therein, and thereafter converting the sorbed organic in situ by exposing the resulting ethanol-containing zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions under such combination of temperature and pressure to effect conversion of the ethanol to hydrocarbons.

Employing the process of this invention, it is possible to carry out the fermentative conversion of fermentable sugar to ethanol while maintaining the low concentrations of ethanol which are conducive to optimum rates of ethanol production.

The economy and efficiency with which fermentation ethanol is produced herein makes such ethanol a particularly attractive starting material for conversion to hydrocarbons including gasoline boiling range products employing crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite catalysts. Conversion processes of this type have been the subject of numerous prior-art disclosures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,483 discloses a process for the production of aromatic rich gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons from lower alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol and corresponding ethers. The process is carried out in two or more stages wherein the alcohol or ether is contacted with a condensation catalyst to produce aliphatic dehydration products and water. The dehydration product is thereafter converted to gasoline boiling hydrocarbons by contact with a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite providing a silica-to-alumina ratio greater than 12, a constraint index, as hereinafter defined, within the range of 1 to 12 and a pore dimension greater than 5 angstroms. Other U.S. patents describing related conversion processes include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,894,107; 4,138,442; 4,138,440; and, 4,035,430. Others include U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,472 which discloses the utilization of a modified zeolite catalyst comprising the zeolite material in admixture with an antimony compound. U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,835 discloses the methanol conversion reaction in the presence of a zeolite containing a Group IIB and a Group VIII metal and magnesium, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,698 discloses employing an improved rare-earth containing zeolite catalyst in the conversion process. Each of the U.S. patents referred to above is incorporated by reference herein.

Since the class of zeolite catalysts which is useful in the processes of the foregoing U.S. patents include the very same class of zeolites which is useful in the selective sorption of ethanol from dilute aqueous fermentation media according to this invention, and since the by-product gases resulting from the catalytic conversion of ethanol to gasoline in such prior processes provide a convenient vehicle for desorbing any ethanol or organic product remaining in the zeolite after ethanol conversion, the process herein offers a valuable overall route to the conversion of biomass to motor fuels and other useful products.

Processes by which fermentable sugar can be converted to ethanol under the action of ethanol-producing microorganisms are well known and consequently do not constitute a part of the invention per se. Illustrative of this invention are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,054,736; 3,022,225; and 3,845,218, each of which is incorporated by reference herein. Fermentation processes of the continuous type and/or apparatus suitable therefor which can be employed in this invention include those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,155,134; 2,371,208; 2,967,107; 3,015,612; 3,078,166; 3,177,005; 3,201,328; 3,207,605; 3,207,606; 3,218,319; 3,234,026; 3,413,124; 3,528,889; 3,575,813; 3,705,841; 3,737,323; and 3,940,492, each of which is incorporated by reference herein.

In the preferred practice of the invention, the concentration of aqueous ethanol in the fermentation zone is maintained at a level which does not exceed a predetermined maximum level, preferably not in excess of about 5% by weight of the aqueous solution, and more preferably, not in excess of about 2% by weight of the aqueous solution, by intermittently or continuously withdrawing a portion of aqueous ethanol from the fermentation zone before the concentration of ethanol therein has exceeded the given maximum level, contacting the portion of aqueous ethanol so withdrawn with a hydrophobic crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite as hereinafter more fully described to effect sorption of ethanol within the zeolite and thereafter exposing the ethanol sorbed zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions including elevated temperatures such that ethanol is converted to a hydrocarbon product. In addition, the exposure to ethanol conversion conditions results in substantial desorption of the zeolite by stripping water, oxygenated hydrocarbons and/or hydrocarbons from the zeolite which may be recycled to the sorption zone for reuse in ethanol sorption. In one embodiment, conversion takes place by exposing the ethanol-containing zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions in the same zone where sorption takes place. In another embodiment of the present invention, the ethanol-containing zeolite is transported from the sorption zone to a separate ethanol conversion zone prior to exposure to ethanol conversion conditions. Conversion of ethanol to hydrocarbons is known and disclosed, inter alia, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,936,353 to Chen and U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,483 to Chang et al., both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites herein constitute an unusual class of natural and synthetic minerals. They are characterized by having a rigid crystalline framework structure composed of an assembly of silicon and aluminum atoms, each surrounded by a tetrahedron of shared oxygen atoms, and a precisely defined pore structure. Exchangeable cations are present in the pores.

The preferred zeolite sorbants of this invention are selected from a class of zeolites with unusual properties. These zeolites are known to induce profound transformations of aliphatic hydrocarbons to aromatic hydrocarbons in commercially desirable yields and are generally highly effective in alkylation, isomerization, disproportionation and other reactions involving aromatic hydrocarbons.

An important characteristic of the crystal structure of this class of zeolites is that it provides constrained access to, and egress from, the intra-crystalline free space by virtue of having a pore dimension greater than about 5 Angstroms and pore windows of about a size such as would be provided by 10-membered rings of oxygen atoms. It is to be understood, of course, that these rings are those formed by the regular disposition of the tetrahedra making up the anionic framework of the crystalline aluminosilicate, the oxygen atoms themselves being bonded to the silicon or aluminum atoms at the centers of the tetrahedra. Briefly, the preferred zeolites useful in this invention possess, in combination: a silica to alumina ratio of at least about 12; and a structure providing constrained access to the crystalline free space.

The silica to alumina ratio referred to may be determined by conventional analysis. This ratio is meant to represent, as closely as possible, the ratio in the rigid anionic framework of the zeolite crystal and to exclude aluminum in the binder or in cationic or other form within the channels. Although zeolites with a silica to alumina mole ratio of at least 12 are useful, it is preferred to use zeolites having ratios of from about 50 to 1000, or even more preferably about 70 to 500. The foregoing zeolites possess an intracrystalline sorption capacity for ethanol which is greater than that for water, i.e., they exhibit "hydrophobic" properties. This hydrophobic character is essential to the present invention as it permits the zeolites to selectively sorb ethanol from dilute aqueous solutions. In general, hydrophobicity, and therefore selectivity for ethanol, increases with an increase in the silica to alumina ratio. However, countering such increase in selectivity is an accompanying decrease in sorption capacity and sorption rate and an increase in equilibration time, i.e., the time required to sorb a maximum quantity of ethanol. Accordingly, the choice of zeolite employed depends in part upon the purpose to which the sorbed ethanol will ultimately be put. If, for example, the ethanol (following desorption) is to be converted to ethylene and/or other light olefins employing known conversion procedures, the use of a zeolite having a relatively low silica to alumina ratio which sorbs ethanol at a relatively low ratio, but with short equilibration times, could be more economical than the use of a zeolite having a relatively high silica to alumina ratio since olefin conversion operates satisfactorily with ethanol feed streams of low concentration. If, however, conversion of the ethanol to gasoline and/or aromatics is desired, a zeolite of relatively high silica to alumina ratio could be considered the preferred candidate since known gasoline/aromatic conversion processes favor the use of ethanol feeds of relatively high ethanol concentration. Moreover, consideration should be given to utilizing a zeolite of sufficient catalytic activity as well as adequate sorption selectivity. In view of catalytic activity being somewhat proportional to the amount of framework aluminum present in the zeolite, silica to alumina mole ratios should not exceed about 1000, preferably about 500.

The class of preferred zeolites herein is exemplified by zeolite beta, ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-21, ZSM-35, ZSM-38, ZSM-48 and other similar materials. Zeolite beta is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,069 incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886 describing and claiming ZSM-5 is incorporated herein by reference.

ZSM-11 is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

ZSM-12 is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,449, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The class of preferred zeolites herein is exemplified by ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-21, and other similar materials. U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886 describing and claiming ZSM-5 is incorporated herein by reference.

ZSM-11 is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

ZSM-12 is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,449, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Evidence has been adduced which suggests that ZSM-21 may be composed of at least two different zeolites designated ZSM-35 and ZSM-38, one or both of which are the effective material insofar as the catalysis of this invention is concerned. ZSM-35 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,245 and ZSM-38 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,859. These two patents are incorporated herein by reference. ZSM-48 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,827 incorporated herein by reference.

The specific zeolites described, when prepared in the presence of organic cations, lack significant sorptive capability, possibly because the intracrystalline free space is occupied by organic cations from the forming solution. They may be activated by heating in an inert atmosphere at 1000° F. for one hour, for example, followed by base exchange with ammonium salts followed by calcination at 1000° F. in air. The presence of organic cations in the forming solution may not be absolutely essential to the formation of this special type of zeolite. More generally, it is desirable to activate this type zeolite by base exchange with ammonium salts followed by calcination in air at about 1000° F. for from about 15 minutes to about 24 hours.

Natural zeolites may sometimes be converted to this type zeolite by various activation procedures and other treatments such as base exchange, steaming, alumina extraction and calcination, alone or in combinations. Natural minerals which may be so treated include ferrierite, brewsterite, stilbite, dachiardite, epistilbite, heulandite and clinoptilolite. The preferred crystalline aluminosilicates are ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12 and ZSM-21, with ZSM-5 particularly preferred.

The zeolites used as sorbent catalysts in this invention may be in the hydrogen form (indicated by the prefix letter H as in HZSM-5) or they may be base exchanged or impregnated to contain ammonium or a metal cation complement. It is desirable to calcine the zeolite after base exchange. The metal cations that may be present include any of the cations of the metals of Groups I through VIII of the periodic table.

Following sorption of ethanol from the dilute aqueous fermentation medium, which is preferably carried out at temperatures below about 100° C., the ethanol-containing zeolite is exposed to ethanol conversion conditions which comprise temperatures ranging from about 316° to 538° C. (600° to 1000° F.), preferably about 371° to 454° C. (700° to 850° F.), pressures ranging from about 10.13 to 1013 kPa (0.1 to 10 atmospheres), preferably about 101.3 to 506.5 kPa (1 to 5 atmospheres), and a liquid hourly space velocity ranging from about 0.1 to 10, preferably about 1 to 5. The ethanol-containing zeolites may be transported to a hydrocarbon conversion zone or they may be treated in situ, i.e., in the sorption zone. The exposure to hydrocarbon conversion conditions effectively desorbs the zeolite. However, if necessary, any remaining ethanol or hydrocarbons may be removed in a stripping operation employing a gas which is relatively inert. Fermentation produces fairly large quantities of carbon dioxide gas which can be effectively employed in stripping sorbed ethanol from the zeolite. Other useful gases include nitrogen, steam, by-product gas from a hydrocarbon conversion reactor (e.g., a mixture of hydrogen, methane and ethane), and the like. Contact with an inert gas may also be employed for the purpose of cooling down the sorbent for subsequent use.

The product resulting from exposure of the ethanol laden zeolite to hydrocarbon conversion conditions contains water as well as an organic portion. The organic portion of this final product which may be in a separate layer is a mixture having a preponderance of normally fluid hydrocarbon and/or oxygenated hydrocarbon constituents and can contain substantial quantities of aromatics, in the gasoline boiling-range of up to about 213° C. (415° F.). The reactor effluent also contains by-product gas which may be advantageously used to desorb the zeolite as previously described.

Suitable ethanol conversion conditions for the present invention include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,107, also incorporated by reference herein. According to this disclosure, ethanol is directly contacted with a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite catalyst having a silica to alumina ratio of at least about 12 and a constraint index of about 1 to 12 at an elevated temperature up to about 1000° F. under such combination of temperature, pressure and space velocity to effect conversion of the ethanol to organic compounds. By-product gas also results from this conversion and can likewise be used to further desorb the zeolite in accordance with this invention. After the ethanol has been converted to hydrocarbons or other organic compounds having a higher carbon to oxygen ratio than ethanol, by exposure of the ethanol sorbed zeolite to conversion conditions, which may result in substantial desorption of the zeolite, the zeolite may optionally be further desorbed with a suitable gas. If the ethanol conversion is conducted outside the ethanol sorption zone, the desorbed zeolite may be transported by any suitable means to the sorption zone, where it is reused.

The same zeolites which are used for catalyzing the conversion processes described in aforesaid U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,928,483 and 3,894,107 are also useful in the sorption of fermentation ethanol from dilute aqueous solution as practiced in the present invention. However, the zeolites in their role as catalysts are further characterized as possessing a constraint index of 1 to 12. Catalytically active crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites must provide constrained access to larger molecules. While it is sometimes possible to judge from a known crystal structure whether such constrained access exists, a simple determination of the "constraint index" may be made by passing continuously a mixture of equal weight of normal hexane and 3-methylpentane over a small sample, approximately 1 gram or less, of zeolite at atmospheric pressure according to the following procedure. A sample of the zeolite, in the form of pellets or extrudate, is crushed to a particle size about that of coarse sand and mounted in a glass tube. Prior to testing, the zeolite is treated with a stream of air at 540° C. for at least 15 minutes. The zeolite is then flushed with helium and the temperature adjusted between 290° C. and 510° C. to give an overall conversion between 10% and 60%. The mixture of hydrocarbons is passed at 1 liquid hourly space velocity (i.e., 1 volume of hydrocarbon per volume of zeolite per hour) over the zeolite with a helium dilution to give a helium to total hydrocarbon mole ratio of 4:1. After 20 minutes on stream, a sample of the effluent is taken and analyzed, most conveniently by gas chromatography, to determine the fraction remaining unchanged for each of the two hydrocarbons.

The "constraint index" is calculated as follows: ##EQU1## The constraint index approximates the ratio of the cracking rate constants for the ratio of the cracking rate constants for the two hydrocarbons. Zeolites suitable for use as catalysts in the conversion processes of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,928,483 and 3,892,107 are those having a constraint index from 1.0 to 12.0, preferably 2.0 to 7.0, and are advantageously selected from the ZSM-5 and HZSM-5 type zeolites.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention.

One embodiment of the present invention comprising a process for the conversion of fermentation ethanol to hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 in which a sterile aqueous solution of one or more fermentable sugars obtained from the hydrolysis of carbohydrate derived from biomass is introduced through line 10 to a fermenter 11 containing a yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The dilute aqueous solution of ethanol produced in fermenter 11 from which most of the yeast has been removed is withdrawn therefrom through line 13 and introduced to ethanol sorption unit 14. Carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is vented through line 12. Sorption/desorption unit 14, which contains a zeolite sorption medium, is operated in alternate sorption/desorption cycles. Ethanol present in the dilute aqueous fermentation stream is sorbed into the zeolite which is thereafter routed from unit 14 through line 16 to a separate conversion zone 17. The ethanol-laden zeolite is then exposed to ethanol conversion conditions. The organic ethanol conversion products are routed through line 18 for collection or through line 21 for recycle to the conversion zone. The zeolite from which ethanol has been substantially removed may be recycled through line 19 to the sorption unit 14. Water produced by the ethanol conversion process may be removed from the conversion zone 17 via line 20.

In another embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 2 the separate conversion zone is eliminated and the ethanol conversion takes place in sorption unit 14. A sterile aqueous solution of one or more fermentable sugars obtained from the hydrolysis of carbohydrate derived from biomass is introduced through line 10 to a fermenter 11 containing a yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The dilute aqueous solution of ethanol produced in fermenter 11 from which most of the yeast has been removed is withdrawn therefrom through line 13 and introduced to ethanol sorption conversion unit 14. Carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is vented through line 12. Sorption/conversion unit 14, which contains a zeolite sorption catalyst medium, is operated in alternate sorption/conversion cycles. In the sorption cycle, ethanol present in the dilute aqueous fermentation stream is sorbed into the zeolite. In the conversion cycle the sorption/conversion unit is maintained at ethanol conversion conditions. The temperature in the unit is preferably maintained at about 371° to 482° C. (700° to 900° F.) and pressures ranging from about 101.3 to 1013 kPa (1.0 to 10 atm.) Exposure to the ethanol conversion conditions results in the formation of ethanol conversion products including water and organic products. Water is removed from the sorption/conversion unit via line 15 and eventually recycled to fermenter 11. The organic products are removed from the sorption/conversion unit via line 16 and optionally recycled to the sorption/conversion unit via line 21. The zeolites which have been exposed to ethanol conversion conditions are thereby adequately desorbed and suitable for additional sorption of ethanol from the aqueous fermentation stream.

In order to more fully illustrate the nature of the invention and the manner of its practice, the following examples are presented.

EXAMPLES 1 and 2

Two dilute aqueous solutions of ethanol simulating the ethanol-containing effluent from a fermenter were subjected to sorption at room temperature with crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites of the HZSM-5 type followed by desorption at 130° C. The results of the sorptions for each ethanol solution were as follows:

    ______________________________________                                                          Example 1                                                                               Example 2                                            ______________________________________                                         % by weight ethanol in aqueous                                                                    1.98       2.49                                             solution                                                                       HZSM-5 approximate silica:                                                                        70         50,000                                           alumina ratio                                                                  Equilibration Time (hours)                                                                        1          48                                               % by weight ethanol sorbed                                                                        10.94      5.89                                             % by weight ethanol in sorbed                                                                     56.7       100                                              phase                                                                          ______________________________________                                    

As these data show, at the higher silica:alumina ratio, selectivity for ethanol was substantially 100% compared with 56.7% for the lower silica:alumina ratio zeolite. However, the reduced sorption capacity and sorption rate of the higher silica:alumina ratio zeolite is evident in the much longer equilibration period for this zeolite compared with the zeolite of lower silica:alumina ratio zeolite.

EXAMPLE 3

A sample of HZSM-5 having a silica to alumina mole ratio of 70 is used to sorb a two weight percent ethanol aqueous solution at room temperature. The resulting ethanol-containing zeolite is exposed to ethanol conversion conditions including a temperature of about 371° C. (700° F.), pressure of 101.3 kPa (1 atm) and a liquid hourly space velocity of about 2. The resulting product is collected and contains water and an organic layer having the hydrocarbon composition:

    ______________________________________                                         Hydrocarbon     Weight Percent                                                 ______________________________________                                         C.sub.1         <0.1                                                           C.sub.2 °                                                                               0.8                                                            C.sub.2 =       10.8                                                           C.sub.3 °                                                                               5.2                                                            C.sub.3 =       7.0                                                            C.sub.4         28.1                                                           C.sub.5 + (nonaromatics)                                                                       16.9                                                           C.sub.5 + (aromatics)                                                                          31.2                                                           ______________________________________                                     

It is claimed:
 1. An integrated process for converting fermentable sugar in aqueous solution to gasoline boiling range products which comprises:(a) converting fermentable sugar present in an aqueous solution thereof under the action of an ethanol producing microorganism to provide a dilute aqueous solution of ethanol with the ethanol being present in the solution at a concentration which does not exceed a predetermined maximum level, said predetermined maximum level of ethanol being selected to be that which is below the level of ethanol causing fermentation to substantially cease; (b) selectively sorbing in a sorption zone, ethanol present in the solution, within a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite characterized by a silica to alumina ratio greater than 12 and a constraint index within the range of 1 to 12, to yield an ethanol-containing zeolite, (c) exposing the resulting ethanol-containing zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions including temperatures ranging from about 316° to 538° C., pressures ranging from about 10.13 to 1013 kPa and a liquid hourly space velocity ranging from about 0.1 to
 10. 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said ethanol-containing zeolite is transported to an ethanol conversion zone prior to exposure to said ethanol conversion conditions.
 3. The process of claim 2 wherein exposure of said ethanol-containing zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions substantially desorbs said zeolite.
 4. The process of claim 3 wherein said substantially desorbed zeolite is recycled to said sorption zone.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein exposure of said ethanol-containing zeolite to ethanol conversion conditions occurs in said sorption zone.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the predetermined maximum level of ethanol in aqueous solution is about 2% by weight of the solution.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the predetermined maximum level of ethanol in aqueous solution is about 5% by weight of the solution.
 8. The process of claim 1 wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite possesses a silica to alumina ratio ranging from about 50 to
 1000. 9. The process of claim 1 wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite possesses a silica to alumina ratio ranging from about 70 to
 500. 10. The process of claim 1 wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite is selected from the group consisting of ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-21, ZSM-35, ZSM-38 and ZSM-48.
 11. The process of claim 10 wherein said zeolite is a ZSM-5 or HZSM-5 zeolite.
 12. The process of claim 1 wherein a portion of the dilute aqueous solution of ethanol is intermittently or continuously transferred to said sorption zone for sorbing by said zeolite.
 13. The process of claim 1 wherein said sorbing occurs at less than about 100° C.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein said ethanol conversion conditions include temperatures ranging from about 371° to 454° C., pressures ranging from about 101.3 to 506.5 kPa and a liquid hourly space velocity ranging from about 1 to
 5. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein said sorbing occurs at a temperature less than about 100° C. 